Participatory research has three key elements: people, power and praxis (Finn,
1994). It is people-centered (Brown, 1985) in the sense that the process of critical
inquiry is informed by and responds to the experiences and needs of people
involved. Participatory research is about power. Power is crucial to the construction
of reality, language, meanings and rituals of truth; power functions in all
knowledge and in every definition. Power is knowledge and knowledge creates
truth and therefore power (Foucault, 1980). Participatory research is also about praxis. It recognizes the inseparability of theory and practice and critical awareness
of the personal-political dialectic.

Participatory research makes a participatory
approach to learning as a central part of a
research process. Research is not done just to
generate facts, but to develop understanding
of oneself and one’s context. It is about
understanding how to learn, which allows
people to become self-sufficient learners and
evaluate knowledge that others generate.
Good participatory research helps develop
relationships of solidarity by bringing people

Adapted from:Sohng, S.L. 1995. Participatory
Research and Community
Organizing. Working Paper
Presented at the New Social
Movement and Community
Organizing Conference. University
of Washington Seattle, WA. (http://
www.interweb-tech.com/nsmnet/
docs/schng.htm)

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